Texas Standard

Texas voter registration backlog leaves thousands of applications unprocessed

Tens of thousands of unprocessed voter registrations were never forwarded to county officials for processing, leading to chaos and questions. If you registered to vote through the DPS, such as when you were updating your driver’s license, you may want to check with county officials who are now working through a backlog of forms they should have received long ago. We’ll talk to the reporter who… Source

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Why Texas became a magnet for massive data centers

Last year’s tragedy at Camp Mystic moves into the realm of criminal investigation, with search warrant requests by the Texas Rangers. As many Texas communities try to push back on more data centers, they often find local officials can’t do much. How did Texas find itself in this position? What new studies are revealing about the connection between AI and what robots will do… Source

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The latest on the ICE shooting in Austin

A shooting involving immigration enforcement is under investigation in Austin — and it’s sparked protests. Also, a federal judge has ordered Texas to air condition every state prison by the end of 2029. We’ll look at the years-long fight over extreme heat behind bars. Houston’s new homeless services center in East Downtown has been open for about three and a half months. We’ll hear how the… Source

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Texas prison program trains incarcerated women to transcribe braille

Do data centers help local economies? The largest one is under construction in West Texas and could provide some answers. Also, we’ll get an update on the ICE shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez in Austin and take a look at the use of deadly force by ICE on city streets across the country. Plus, the struggle to pay for childcare in Texas. Texas Standard reporter Sarah Asch takes us to a Texas… Source

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‘Deep in the Heart 2’ explores the rivers and aquifers that sustain Texas

Another ICE shooting in Texas, this time in the Texas capital city on Sunday. Also, what could be an important week of speeches and negotiations in New York. UT’s Michael Mosser joins the Standard with more on what to look for, and what’s at stake at the UN general assembly gathering. With much of the UN focused on current conflicts, we’ll hear how an expansion of the war between the U.S. Source

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Big Bend businesses push back against border wall construction

In the Big Bend region, local businesses are banding together to push back against border wall construction. Growing food insecurity in rural areas is on par with some of the country’s biggest cities amid changes to federal nutrition programs. In the fight against the spread of a destructive parasite, a look at what may be a gaping hole in the strategy. A new warning about the New World screwworm. Source

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Houston G20 energy summit confronts high oil and gasoline prices

As concerns grow over data centers in Texas, something is conspicuously missing: Reliable data on the impact. We’ll have a look at the search for real numbers. A global conference on energy wraps in Houston as gas prices reach wallet-slimming levels across the Lone Star State. We’ll hear more on the G20 energy summit and ask about a possible disconnect. Facebook’s parent company Meta claims to be… Source

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UT students respond after Bo French targets them online

We assume the hundreds of new data centers popping up across Texas use quite a bit of water, but we’ll look at why we don’t know for sure. Texas has a program to help expand access to preschool. But why do some providers say it’s having unintended consequences? Republican candidate for the Texas railroad commission Bo French put dozens of UT students in an unexpected spotlight with a racist social… Source

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Dallas-raised, best-selling author R.F. Kuang talks new novel ‘Taipei Story’

Texas pulled smokable hemp out of stores but it’s still available in other forms. So, what does the law say now? A North Texas community weathered a recent wildfire but still lacks basic resources for another emergency. And there’s a rise in dangerous ectopic pregnancies and it varies by state. We’ll delve into what’s happening in Texas. Dallas-raised, best-selling author R.F. Source

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How the Longhorns took down top-ranked Ohio State in a dramatic comeback

Rural Texas has long been a GOP stronghold, but one issue could make a top statewide race more competitive than previously thought. We’ll look at how data centers have emerged as critical in the Texas gubernatorial contest. Some Texas institutions of higher learning are encouraging students to use AI. We’ll dig into why. Public libraries in Texas aren’t just for checking out books anymore. Source

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Texas Extra: Texas political history and intrigue with politico Ben Barnes

There’s a lot to talk about in Texas on a daily basis and Texas Standard wants to get to as much as we can. But sometimes that means taking a great conversation and making it much shorter than we’d like. Such is the case with one this week with longtime Texas politico Ben Barnes. Our David Brown talked with him about his new memoir “Get It Done: Seven Decades of Lessons from a Political Legend.”… Source

Remembering a Houston family’s loss 25 years after 9/11

25 years since 9/11, in which a series of coordinated attacks on the U.S. marked the end of one era and the start of another. We’ll share some stories of Texans whose lives were impacted. A first-of-its-kind midterm political convention wraps up in Dallas. Did Republicans move the needle with just two months to go before midterms? Caroline Love of KERA North Texas joins us with a closer look. Source

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New novel ‘The Beauty of Days Gone By’ tackles the Texas frontier

How might AI-generated images affect a high-stakes political contest in Texas? Rice University political professor Mark Jones joins the Standard to talk about how Ken Paxton’s campaign is hoping to win votes with AI-generated images of his Democratic opponent, James Talarico. Also: Some top-line takeaways from the first day of a first-of-its-kind GOP midterm convention underway in Dallas. Source

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High electricity costs contribute to senior heat deaths in the RGV

Costs for air conditioning are so high that some on limited incomes are trying to do without. But with temperatures also at extremes, that’s leading to some grave outcomes for seniors, in particular. The GOP’s unconventional convention is in Texas for a reason — and part of that is the state’s fundraising power. We’ll take a closer look. And do your feelings about AI change if it helps you save… Source

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Texas political legend Ben Barnes looks back on career

While all eyes are on the upcoming midterm election, there are signs one particular Texan is looking at running for president again. Is Ted Cruz gearing up for 2028? Also, why Democrats see James Talarico’s Senate run as an opportunity to gain votes in parts of West Texas that have been reliably red for decades. And Texas political luminary Ben Barnes joins us to talk about his new… Source

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Forged in flames: An oral history of the Labor Day wildfires

This Labor Day holiday marks 15 years since the most destructive wildfire in recorded Texas history — measured not by acres burned, but by homes lost. The Bastrop County Complex Fire was just one of more than 30,000 that ignited in 2011 — by far the worst year since the Texas A&M Forest Service has been keeping track. It was spurred by an unprecedented one-year drought. Today on the Texas Standard… Source

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San Antonio husband-and-wife team talks ‘Pitmasters’ win

Following the money: What are super PAC donations telling us about Texas’ closely watched U.S. Senate race? Democrat James Talarico is outfundraising his Republican rival Ken Paxton big time. Who’s writing the checks and what does the money add up to in a high-stakes midterm? Also, as the GOP puts finishing touches on next week’s national convention in Dallas, a closer look at the Bush Family… Source

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A mysterious kidney disease is hitting Central American migrant workers in Texas

Tarrant County, a big Texas county seen by some as key in the upcoming midterms, cuts the number of polling places. We’ll have the backstory. It’s not political convention season — or is it? What looks like an unconventional convention set for Dallas. Also, more on a mysterious kidney disease that’s arrived in Texas hitting young men from Central America especially hard. We’ll hear what health… Source

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Texas hospitals face Medicaid funding freeze

$27 million a day. That’s how much Texas hospitals are losing because of a disagreement with the Trump administration over Medicaid funding. We’ll have the details. Much of the talk of the November election in Texas has focused on the race for U.S. Senate. But who will be Texas’ next attorney general? We’ll share a closer look at candidates Mayes Middleton and Nathan Johnson. As tropical winds and… Source

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Marfa’s Palace Theater could soon see new life

Tropical Storm Edouard heads toward the Texas coast. What to expect as it makes landfall. An update on recovery efforts in Nepal, where Texans are among the missing. How Texas is helping mount a defense against hackers who broke into systems that control water infrastructure across the U.S. New laws take effect as September begins. We’ll highlight some of the big ones… Source

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